Medical Marijuana: Ron Paul Pushes Prescription Pot Legislation

July 18, 2012

Paul is part of the bipartisan effort spearheaded by Rep. Sam Farr (D-Calif.)

On Tuesday, Farr introduced the Truth in Trials Act, according to The Hill. Key proponents include an “eclectic mix of 15 House Democrats” and three Republicans, such as Paul.

So what is the act, you might ask?

First, a bit of context.

As you probably know, weed is illegal under federal law.

However, some states have legalized medical marijuana.

Clearly, in those places, prescription pot is legal under state law, though that doesn’t change the fact that it’s still illegal federally.

(This is the crux of the legal clusterfuck most prominently being played out in California.)

Anyway, what this proposed legislation would do is give people the right to prove that their marijuana-related actions were OK with their state law — protecting them from federal prosecution.

Under the act, a person could only be found guilty of a federal marijuana offense if the marijuana is for non-medical purposes. Also, the government would not be able to seize and destroy weed as readily as now.

This isn’t the first time Paul has pushed for this kind of legislation.

Though a member of the Republican Party, Ron Paul is a libertarian, and tends to takes a hands off approach to substance issues. During his presidential bids, he has repeatedly promised to end the drug war if elected.